John Bartlett was born June 14, 1820 and grew up to own the Harvard Bookstore. His excellent researching and memory skills inspired both the Cambridge catchphrase "Ask John Bartlett" and the very first Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.

Bartlett's is now in its 17th edition, but even if you don't have it handy, you can find quotations on the Internet. Try www.libraryspot.com for links to collections ranging from the tenth edition (1919) of Bartlett's to the comprehensive www.quotationspage.com.

Other fun sites include www.quoteworld.org and www.quoteland.com, both of which include forums for quotation lovers.